Royal Burial Sites of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

by Susan Flantzer

Graves in the Alten Friedhof (Old Cemetery) in Arnstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 20, 1834, the Hereditary Prince Günther Friedrich Karl, the future Günther Friedrich Karl II, reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, established a new burial site for members of the princely family of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen in the city cemetery of Arnstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. Today that cemetery is known as the Alten Friedhof (Old Cemetery). Günther Friedrich Karl II did not want the remains of his first wife Hereditary Princess Maria (died March 29, 1833), and his son Prince Günther Friedrich Karl Alexander (died October 31, 1833) to remain in the princely crypt of the upper church of the Liebfraukirche (Church of Our Lady – link in German) in Arnstadt and so their remains were moved in 1834 to the Alten Friedhof (Old Cemetery).

Bombing raids during World War II damaged the Alten Friedhof (Old Cemetery) in Arnstadt. After World War II, the land that encompassed the former Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was in the German Democratic Republic (Communist East Germany) until the reunification of Germany in 1990. East German authorities ordered many historical tombs in the country destroyed at the end of the 1940s. It appears that gardeners played a role in saving some burial sites in the Alten Friedhof (Old Cemetery). The burial site was called the Fürstengruft – the princely crypt. Was the original burial site a mausoleum? Today, the site looks like overgrown cemetery plots.

The following members of the Princely House of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen were buried at Fürstengruft auf dem Alten Friedhof (Princely Crypt at the Old Cemetery) in Arnstadt:

  • Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Hereditary Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1809 – 1833), first wife of Günther Friedrich Karl II
  • Prince Günther Friedrich Carl Alexander of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1828 – 1833), son of Günther Friedrich Karl II
  • Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1774 – 1854), wife of Günther Friedrich Karl I
  • Mathilde of Hohenlohe-Öhringen, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1814 – 1888), second wife of Günther Friedrich Karl II

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Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) in Sondershausen; Credit – Von ErwinMeier – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53603995

Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church – link in German) in Sondershausen, Thuringia, Germany is an Evangelical Lutheran church. The last members of the Schwarzburg-Sondershausen royal family were buried in the attached burial chapel. St. Andrew’s Church, which was demolished in 1608, stood at the current location of the Trinity Church. In 1620, Trinity Church, the new church was consecrated. In 1621, there was a fire in Trinity Church and so the church was rebuilt during the 17th century. The princely burial chapel was added in 1890 – 1891. Since then, there have been several renovations and alterations to Trinity Church.

The princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) in Sondershausen; Credit – Von Jwaller – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32458143

The princely burial chapel serves as the final resting place for seven members of the Princely House of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. They were buried in stone tombs with lion’s feet and inscribed with biblical sayings.

The following members of the Princely House of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen were interred at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church):

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Princes of Schwarzburg- Sondershausen

The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

  • Anton Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1697 – 1716)
  • Christian Wilhelm, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1697 – 1721)
  • Günther XLIII, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1721 – 1740)
  • Heinrich XXXV, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1740 – 1758)
  • Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1758 – 1794)
  • Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1794 – 1835)
  • Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1835 – 1880)
  • Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1880 – 1909)

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt united in a personal union under Prince Günther Victor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

  • Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg (Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 1890-1918, also Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen 1909 – 1918, after 1909, used the title Prince of Schwarzburg)

Despite much searching for information in both English and German, no specific information on the burial sites of several reigning Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen has been found. The Counts of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen were buried at the Liebfraukirche (Church of Our Lady) in Arnstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. It is possible that the missing burial sites could be there. As indicated above, after the deaths of the wife and son of Günther Friedrich Karl II in 1833, a new burial site was established for family members at the Arnstadt city cemetery now called the Alten Friedhof (Old Cemetery). It was the wish of Günther Friedrich Karl II that his wife and son should not remain in the princely crypt of the upper church – which would have been Liebfraukirche (Church of Our Lady) in Arnstadt. It is also possible that the missing remains were moved to the Old Cemetery. Bombing raids during World War II damaged both the Liebfraukirche (Church of Our Lady) and the Old Cemetery in Arnstadt and the remains could have been a casualty.

All images below are from Wikipedia unless otherwise noted.

Note: Unofficial Royalty articles on the Princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt are coming soon.

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Anton Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Anton Günther, Count and the future Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen; Credit – www,geni.com

Anton Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was born on October 10, 1653, the son of Count Anton Günther I and his wife Countess Palatine Mary Magdalene of Birkenfeld. In 1666, he succeeded his father and reigned jointly with his brother Christian Willem I. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

Augusta Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Anton Günther II married Augusta Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in 1684 but their marriage was childless. On July 20, 1716, Anton Günther II, aged 62, died in Arnstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. His burial site is unknown. His wife Augusta Dorothea survived him by 35 years, dying on July 11, 1751, aged 84, at Augustenburg Castle in Arnstadt. Augusta Dorothea had converted to Roman Catholicism and was buried at the Ursuline Convent (link in German)  in Erfurt, Electorate of Mainz, now in the German state of Thuringia.

Ursuline Convent in Erfurt, burial place of Augusta Dorothea

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Christian Wilhelm, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Christian Wilhelm, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was born January 6, 1647 in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. He was the son of Count Anton Günther I and his wife Countess Palatine Mary Magdalene of Birkenfeld. In 1666, he succeeded his father and reigned jointly with his Anton Günther II. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. When Anton Günther II died in 1716, Christian Wilhelm became the sole ruler of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

Christian Wilhelm married twice. His first marriage was to Antonie Sybille of Barby-Mühlingen in 1673 with whom he had seven children. Antonie Sybille died in 1684, aged 43, but her burial site is unknown. In 1684, Christian Wilhelm married Wilhelmine Christiane of Saxe-Weimar and the couple had eight children. Wilhelmine Christiane also predeceased her husband, dying at the age of 54, and her burial place is also unknown.

Christian Wilhelm, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen died on May 10, 1721, aged 74, in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. His burial site is unknown.

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Günther XLIII, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Born on August 13, 1678, Günther XLIII, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was the son of Christian Wilhelm, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and his first wife Antonie Sybille of Barby-Mühlingen. In 1712, he married Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Bernburg but the marriage was childless.

Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Bernburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Günther XLIII, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen died on November 28, 1740, aged 62. His burial site is unknown. His wife Elisabeth Albertine, aged 81, died on July 7, 1774, in Arnstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia, surviving her husband by nearly 34 years, Her burial site is unknown.

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Heinrich XXXV, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Heinrich XXXV, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was the son of Christian Wilhelm and his second wife Wilhelmine Christiane of Saxe-Weimar. He was born on November 8, 1689. Heinrich never married. He died on November 6, 1758, aged 68, and his burial site is unknown.

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Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Credit – www.geni.com

The son of Prince August of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and Princess Charlotte Sophie of Anhalt-Bernburg, Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was born on June 24, 1736. In 1760, he married Charlotte Wilhelmine of Anhalt-Bernburg and the couple had six children. Charlotte Wilhelmine predeceased her husband, dying in 1777, aged 41, but her burial site is unknown. Christian Günther III, aged 58, died on October 14, 1794, and his burial site is also unknown.

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Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Born on December 5, 1760, in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. He was the son of Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and Charlotte Wilhelmine. He married Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1799. The couple had two children.

Günther Friedrich Karl I died at his hunting lodge Schloss Zum Possen near Sondershausen, on April 22, 1837, aged 77. He was buried in Ebeleben, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. His exact burial site is unknown but it could have been Ebeleben Castle. However, during World War II, the castle buildings were destroyed and the ruins were later removed.

His wife Caroline survived him by seventeen years, dying in 1854. She was buried at Fürstengruft auf dem Alten Friedhof (Princely Crypt at the Old Cemetery) in Arnstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was born in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia, on September 24, 1801. His parents were Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Mathilde of Hohenlohe-Öhringen; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1827, Günther Friedrich Karl II, married Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and the couple had four children. Marie died in 1833 at the age of 24. She was buried with her five-year-old son Günther Friedrich Carl Alexander , who also died in 1833, at the Fürstengruft auf dem Alten Friedhof (Princely Crypt at the Old Cemetery) in Arnstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia.

Günther Friedrich Karl II married for a second time in 1835 to Mathilde of Hohenlohe-Öhringen. The couple had two children. Günther Friedrich Karl II and Mathilde divorced in 1852. Mathilde, aged 74, died in 1888 at the Mirabell Palace in Salzburg, Austria. Despite the divorce, Mathilde was buried Fürstengruft auf dem Alten Friedhof (Princely Crypt at the Old Cemetery) in Arnstadt.

Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen died on September 15, 1889, in Sondershausen at the age of 88. His remains were interred in an unknown location until the completion of the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. In 1891, the remains of Günther Friedrich Karl II were transferred to the new burial chapel.

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Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was born on August 7, 1830 in Arnstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. He was the son of a Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and his first wife Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg

In 1869, Karl Günther married Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg. The couple’s failure to have children meant the extinction of the House of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Karl Günther’s first cousin once removed Günther Victor, reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, succeeded him in 1909.

In 1906, Karl Günther suffered a debilitating hunting accident and he never recovered. He died on March 28, 1909, aged 78, in a sanatorium in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony, and was buried in the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia.

Marie Gasparine survived her husband by 21 years. She died on July 5, 1930, aged 85, in Sondershausen, Thuringia, Germany, and was buried with her husband in the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) in Sondershausen.

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Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg ((Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 1890-1918, also Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen 1909 – 1918, after 1909, used the title Prince of Schwarzburg)

Günther Victor was the last reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Born in 1852, Günther Victor was the son of Prince Adolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Mathilde of Schönburg-Waldenburg. Upon the death of his father in 1875, Günther Victor became the heir presumptive to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and succeeded upon the death of his unmarried first cousin once removed Georg Albrecht, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1890. When Prince Leopold of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen died in 1906, Günther Victor became heir presumptive to the other Schwarzburg principality. He succeeded in 1909, upon the death of Karl Günther, as Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The two Schwarzburg principalities were united under Günther Victor in a personal union and he was then styled Prince of Schwarzburg.

Günther Victor married Anna Luise of Schönburg-Waldenburg (1871 – 1951) but the marriage was childless. After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, Günther Victor, the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicated on November 22, 1918. He died on April 21, 1925, at the age of 72, in Sondershausen, Germany, and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt, Germany. See Unofficial Royalty: Royal Burial Sites of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

His wife Anna Luise survived him by 26 years, dying on November 7, 1951, aged 80, in Sondershausen, Thuringia, Germany, and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt, Germany.

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